Burr Settles Develops Creativity Tools for Songwriters

Burr Settles, a post-doctoral fellow in the Machine Learning Department, has developed Titular and LyriCloud, two online creativity tools for songwriters. Titular suggests song titles, while LyriCloud makes lyrical suggestions based on words selected by the user. The motivation for Settles to create Titular and LyriCloud last year was February Album Writing Month (FAWM, http://fawm.org), an international songwriting event that he helped launch in 2004. FAWM challenges participants ("fawmers") to compose 14 new works of music — roughly an album's worth — in only 28 days. Last year, 4,000 people registered for FAWM and generated more than 10,000 new songs. Titular and LyriCloud, along with tools related to song structure and plot lines, were made available on the FAWM website to help participants in achieving their 14-song goals. Read more: http://www.cmu.edu/news/archive/2011/January/jan20_songtool.shtml